Connector.



J. P MENNINGEN.

CONNECTOR.

' APPLICATION FILED unso, 1909.

3mg Patented July 21, 19m

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

aosnrrrn nnanmesn, or wnsr ALLIS, WISCONSIN, assrenoza', BY nsnn ASSIGN- nears To itm's cn'anmnns nirnumc'ruemo COMPANY, A} conroaarron or DELAWARE.

GONNECTOR.

Patented July 21,1914.

Application flled'manuary'iw, 119092 seriail'No. 4.2mm

To all wit-0m; arm camera:

Be it known that' l3, J osnrr'r F. MEN'NIN- GEN, a citizen of the United States; residing at West Allis, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certaih new and useful Improvements in- Con: meters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to separable connectors or couplers for electric circuits. I

It is advantageous to be able to make'quick and reliable connectionsbetween conductors in an electric circuit and at the same time make secure connections of high efficiency.

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive coupler by which connections may be made or broken quickly and without the assistance of tools, in which the parts are duplicate and interchangeable, and in which thereis sufiicient contact area to cause the resistance of the joint to be inapprec-iable.

In carrying out my invention ll provide a connector for electric circults comprlslng two cooperating parts, each part including male and female knife blade contacts complementary to the female and male contacts the two parts are together the two female contacts overlap. v

More specifically considered my invention consists in an electric connector, COIIIPI'lSlIlg two duplicate parts, each part comprlsing a shell for the reception of a conductor, a female knife blade contact, and a male knife blade contact complementary tothe female contact and located between the latter and the shell.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a view of a connector embodying my invention and showing the manner in which the connection is made; and Fig. 2 is a perspective View of one of the duplicate parts of the connector.

Myconnector comprises two duplicate cooperating parts, 16 and 17 which I prefer to make, as shown, of some good resilient sheet metal or conducting material, which is punched out, by means of dies, to the desired shape and dimensions, and then finished up to take the form shown in Fig. 2. Each part includes a male contact 13 and female contact 1d, and a shell 12 for the reception of a connector 10. These two contacts are respectively complementary to the female and male contacts onthe other part, and so local ed that when the two parts are together the two female contacts 145 overlap; i. e. the male contact is between the female contact and the shell.

tegral portion connecting these fingers at the back thereof, thus forming a pocket closed on three sides, and the extremities of ably, but not necessarily, in line axially of the connector. in these two cooperating parts, the male members might be called the wrists and the female the fingers of the con nector. When the connection is complete the Wrists of the two interchangeable parts are each gripped by the fingers of the other part so that there can be no relative longitudinal movement between the two parts.

It m1 ght be stated that relative longitudinal movement of the parts is prevented by means of having the effectual engaging lengths of the male and female parts equal, the remalning portions of the male parts being of such increased dimensions to render fuglther reception by the female parts imposs1- e.

Many modifications may be made in the arrangement 'here specifically shown and described, and I aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope-of my invention.

What I claim as new is 1. A connector for electric circuits, comprising two interchangeable parts, each of said parts including male and female confacts in line with each other axially of the connector, the female contacts being formed of a single piece of material and being bent to close three sides for engagement with the male contact members. H

2. An electric connector, comprising two duplicate parts, each part including a shell for the reception of a conductor, a female contact, and a male knife blade contact 10- The female contacts have two fingers, 18 and 19 respectively, and an in-,

. cated between the female contact and the shell and complementary to the female contact on the other part, the female contacts being formed of a single piece of material andbeing bent to close three sides for engagement with the complementary male contacts.

3. A connector for electric'circuits, comprising two duplicate parts, each of said parts consisting of sheet metal shaped to form a shell for the reception of a conductor and compleme tary male and female contacts in line with each other, the female contacts being bent to close three sides for engagement with-male contact members.

4." An article of manufacture, comprising a shell for the reception of a conductor, and male and female contacts, the male contact being between the female contact and the shell, and the female contact being'bent to close three sides thereof for engagement with a cooperating male contact.

5. A connector for electric circuits, comprising two cooperating parts, each part including a contact wrist and contact fingers respectively complementary to the contact fingers and wrist on the other part and so located that when the two parts are together there can be no relative longitudinal move said conductor attaching be engaged by complementary contact wrists.-

6. A connector for electric. circuits, com

prising two cooperating parts, each part ineluding a conductor attaching portion and male and female contacts respectively complementary to female and male contactston the other part, and said male contact being provided with a shouldered portion adjacent ortion, said shouldered portion and said emale contact acting to look a complementary female contact in engagement with said male contact.

7. An article of manufacture, comprising a single piece of sheet metal having a portion for attachment to a conductor, and male and female contact portions, the male con-* tact portion being between the female contact portion and the conductor attachin portion and being attached directly to bot of said latter portions.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH F. MENN IN GEN in e 

